Catholics Leaving the Church

A Letter to Cardainal Dolan, 2012

JOHN HAUCK

40 Fuller Terrace, Albany, New York 12205

jackhauck@yahoo.com

518-869-0458

February 22, 2012

Cardinal Timothy Dolan

1011 First Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Dear Cardinal Dolan,

Congratulations on becoming a Cardinal! The Church is certainly going through a difficult time and it is a hopeful sign to see an influx of new Cardinals like yourself.

I’m writing this letter to express my concern over the tremendous loss of Catholics who have left, or are leaving, the Church. On a personal level, I know many friends and family members who were born and raised Catholic and now are no longer practicing their faith. On the Church level, this has to be the major crisis facing us at this time and, sadly, it is hard to see it being addressed as such. I came across a quote from Garrison Keillor that puts it in human terms.

“This is my last view of them for a while. If you see them before I do, say hello from me and give them my love.

For now I’ll remember them as they are at this moment.”

Leaving Home, by Garrison Keillor

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life informs us that there are twenty two million former Catholics in America today. Of those who left to become Protestant or unaffiliated:

71% said their spiritual needs were not being met

50% stopped believing in Catholic teaching

54% just drifted away

And the question often asked by Catholics who remain in the Church is, “Why should we not leave also?” There is no simple answer to why so many of those who left felt that their spiritual needs were not being met, but an overly simplified illustration may point the direction in which an answer may be found:

Let’s say that in our town there is a food supermarket that operates out of a magnificent building with all modern conveniences. It provides customers with an abundant variety of the finest food products at reasonable prices. However, the managers and the staff, unduly proud of themselves and their store, consider themselves different and better than their customers – and this is reflected in the arrogant attitude with which they provide service. Customer complaints and requests are ignored. The old adage that the “customer is always right” is changed to “the customer is never right.” Most likely, seventy one percent of those customers would choose to go elsewhere to buy their food where, along with their food purchases, they would be treated with courtesy and respect.

The Church is the spiritual food store. It has tradition, the gospels, the liturgy, the sacraments, and especially, Christ in the Eucharist. Sins are forgiven. Parishes provide a faith community in which to live and pray. Children are baptized into and nourished in the faith which is expressed clearly in the Nicene and Apostles Creeds. The Church is a community of all the baptized, ordained and non-ordained. We have a purpose for living and a promise of life eternal.

How is it possible that anyone would leave this Catholic Church because “their spiritual needs were not met”? We can point to many things that would be involved – the modern culture, the media, consumerism, stress, wars, economic instability, loss of a sense of sin, family instability, simply drifting away, the pedophilia scandal that engulfed the hierarchy from top to bottom – but all of these reasons would argue as to why the faithful should be drawn closer to their Church and their faith – and not away from it.

Image and attitude, as with the supermarket, play a key role also in the Church. The image of the Church to the faithful and to the world, for better or for worse, is projected primarily by the hierarchy, the Pope, the Cardinals in Rome, and the Bishops. Unfortunately, that image does not put our best foot forward. It spotlights the worst of Church leadership that is authoritarian, secretive, vindictive, arrogant, wealthy, exclusive, rigid and out of touch with Gospel and human values. It denigrates women, gays and the primacy of conscience. The faithful are still left to pray, pay and obey. Attempts are made to declare arbitrary rules of discipline infallible and off-grounds for discussion. The Pope and the Roman curia are dedicated to reversing the gains of Vatican II.

Why have so many left the Church? Is it any wonder that so many of those who have left the Church stopped believing in the Church’s “teaching” and feel that their spiritual needs are not being met?

The Pope and the Curia in Rome are set firmly into their agendas and are in their roles for life. This brings on fear and frustration that the situation can only get worse, never better. At least not in our lifetimes or in our children’s lifetimes. Hope is a hard commodity to come by, except that the Church has the promise and the presence of the Holy Spirit that it will persevere and overcome all obstacles. Realistically and humanly speaking, hope of seeing a positive change in Church leadership is virtually non-existant.

Still, this is our time and we cannot but feel a calling and a responsibility. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s words resonate with meaning, “Mere waiting and looking on is not Christian behavior.” In the Gospel of Luke Jesus speaks about the one lost sheep which the shepherd searched for until he found it. In our Gospel situation today, we are talking about twenty two million of the faithful who have already strayed and are lost. Is this a situation that we can do nothing about?

Being a Catholic today doesn’t simply mean that this is the faith into which we were baptized. It signifies, or should signify, a conversion of heart and a commitment. The challenge for our generation is in front of us.

The Serenity Prayer asks us to accept the things we cannot change, but it also asks us to have the courage to change what can be changed. If we were to rely on our own wisdom, we would very well sit back and do nothing, saying to ourselves that nothing can be changed. However, the wisdom of God tells us that with God, nothing is impossible. Effort is our gift to God – and success is God’s gift to us! In God’s own time, not ours, God’s will is done.

Cardinal Dolan, I think you understand what I am trying to say. Members of the Hierarchy, in general, are not doing their job. They are mired down in trying to maintain past structures and ways of thinking that are no longer effective – and in protecting their authority and credibility which to a large extent no longer exists. And in the meanwhile they neglect the good of souls. What they do and say tends to portray the Church as an exclusive Church to which not all are invited - and that it is no concern of theirs when large numbers leave.

I remember the days of Vatican II and Pope John XXIII. There was a powerful leadership in the Church at that time, all based on Gospel values and the good of souls. This impacted gracefully not only on the Catholic faithful but also on people all over the world.

And after Pope John’s death, there was an effort to reverse the gains of Vatican II – and if one is looking for the reason the Church is in the sorry state it is currently in, one need look no further than this.

Cardinal Dolan, please consider using your position as a Cardinal to redirect the Hierarchy back to Vatican II. And push for the canonization of John XXIII which would be a step in the right direction.

Sincerely,

******************

For now I’ll remember them as they are at this moment

sitting with each other and listening to the summer rain that may yet save the crops.

And the river may rise so that you and I can push our lovely rafts from the shore

and be lifted up over the rocks

and at last see what is down there around the big bend

where the cottonwood trees are slowly falling, bowing to the river,

the drops glistening on the dark green leaves.

[ Leaving Home, Garrison Keillor ]

(Cf. following pages also)

NOW WHAT? A SUGGESTION:

What is the focus at this time? Mt. 28: 19-20 “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations……..”

For those Catholics who have left the Church [ Welcome them back ]
For those Catholics who are in the Church [ Keep them strong in their faith ]
For those who have never been a part of the Church [ Welcome them into the Church ]

What is it that we can do?

We can launch a credible plan of action, on the diocesan level with the involvement of all parishes, to present clearly and convincingly the Gospel and the spiritual values and truths of the Catholic Church in a way that relates to the everyday lives and concerns of all people,

How would we do that?

Send an open letter of ‘Welcome back” to every person who left whose address we have. Also distribute this letter among the current Church-goers – and publish a copy in the newspapers.
In this letter include what “coming back” would entail. Who would welcome them back? Provide group meetings that would allow for an open and frank discussion in regard to why they left and why they should come back.
Publicize in the newspaper the presentations (lectures, discussions, healing, reconciliation, prayer meetings, special events, etc.) that take place in the parishes each month. Invite everyone! But let people know what is going on and what is available.
Once a month run an ad in the newspaper that highlights some aspect of our faith that would be of interest to readers. St Peter’s Hospital uses a good format in their many ads. Including a passage each time from the Gospel would, I think, be most effective.